Rude cops, babus have legislators seeing red

he house took strong exception to the incident and the speaker directed the state to suspend PSI Mahavir Jadhav from Shrigonda, Ahmednagar district.

Jitendra Awhad

Nagpur: The assembly on Wednesday witnessed continuous disruptions, noisy scenes and chaos as members, cutting across party lines, joined hands to demand punishment for bureaucrats and particularly, police officers who have used “derogative” language against the elected representatives of house, thereby insulting them and disrespecting their privileges. One-third of the house, including the Shiv Sena, the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Peasants and Workers Party stormed the well of the house to express their unhappiness and demanded stringent punishment for the guilty.

The matter was first raise by NCP legislator Jitendra Aawhad, who claimed that senior party leader Chhagan Bhujbal had been abused by a PSI, who went on to misbehave with women members of a family. He alleged that the PSI entered a house and abused the NCP member with “filthy” language. The house took strong exception to the incident and the speaker directed the state to suspend PSI Mahavir Jadhav from Shrigonda, Ahmednagar district.

Earlier, members from both benches trooped into the house, shouting slogans against the state’s lenient attitude towards government officials, particularly police personnel and demanded that Indian Penal Code section 353, which is being misused by officials against the peoples’ representatives, be amended.

Mr Bhujbal, who was present in the house, had also moved a motion of breach of privilege of members against the PSI, informed that he had neither visited the village nor does he know the PSI.

The opposition benches along with the Sena created ruckus which led to the house being adjourned thrice for 15 minutes each. The speaker then decided to allow all the members who have moved breach of privilege notices to speak. MLAs Rajesh Kshirsagar, Mangesh Patil Ashtikar and Sanjay Shirsat raised the issue of abusive language and ill treatment being meted out to them.